Heading Toward A Birthday Goal

Back in 2004 after I returned from our vacation in Walt Disney World there was nothing I wanted more than to be able to, one day, go back. I was obsessed with the desire to make it bigger and better than the first one.

I calculated a savings plan that would have me saving over $7000 saved by September 2010 so I could go back to "the world" for my 50th birthday. It was more than a savings plan. It was a campaign. I called it "Disney @ 50. I even created my own logo; an outline of Mickey's head and ears with a "50" inside it. It was a long range goal that I was determined would happen. I was well on my way just a year later with $1500 saved.

A little over 3 years later, September 2007, I set another goal for my 50th birthday. That was a weight loss plan. I figured out if I lost 6 pounds a month until September 2010 I would reach my goal weight of 175 pounds. This was 2 years before the thought of having gastric bypass surgery ever came into my mind. I was still determined to lose my weight with conventional dieting methods.

So there I has 2 big goals set for my 50th Birthday: going back to Disney World and weighing 175 pounds.

As I said, my "Disney @ 50" plans were well underway when God changed my heart and my priorities changed. I walked away from my plans for going to Disney World and ended up transferring my designated savings to our general bank account.

In 2008, my plans to lose 6 pounds a month turned out to be a dismal failure. In fact, my poor eating habits (aka gluttony) were so out of control I was gaining at that rate not losing. Once again God worked in my life and led me down the path to weight loss surgery.

As of today, 7 months and 23 days before my 50th birthday I am 100 pounds away from reaching my goal weight for my 50th birthday.

This means I have to lose 12.5 pounds a month until then. But that's about the pace I've been losing so far. I can't assume that I will meet my goal but I am well on my way there. Much closer than I thought I would ever be 3 years ago when I first set the mark.

It's not going to be easy and I'll have to work hard at getting there. But its nice to know that at leas one of my goals for my 50th birthday is within reach.